Mapping child protection systems in the EU

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), at the request of the European Commission, conducted research on national child protection systems in the 28 European Union (EU) Member States. It seeks to understand how national child protection systems work and to identify common challenges and promising practices.

The maps and tables presented on the following web pages show the scope, structures, actors and functions of the EU Member States’ child protection systems and how they aim to meet the diverse needs of different groups of children. A summary of key findings for each area is provided under the maps and tables.

Consultation with Member States - Member State representatives in the European Commission’s informal expert group on the rights of the child were consulted on a draft mapping of child protection systems in the 28 EU Member States. Representatives of 21 Member States provided written feedback: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom)

Research and methodology - The research focuses on how national child protection systems respond to the needs of children with multiple vulnerabilities and on how institutions cooperate and coordinate work when developing and implementing the national laws and policies. It identifies legislative and policy gaps, implementation challenges but also promising practices.

FRA’s expert contractors in the EU Member States, Franet, conducted the research’s desk research. The network collected secondary sources, including legal information and policy documents, and carried out a five-year literature review. Franet contacted government officials, representatives of child protection institutions and services, civil society organisations, national human rights institutions and children’s ombudspersons offices, where available, to obtain information not publicly available or for clarifications.

Timeline - FRANET conducted the research from December 2013 to March 2014.

At the request of the European Commission, FRA conducted research on national child protection systems in the 28 European Union (EU) Member States. The research seeks to understand how national child protection systems work and to identify common challenges and promising practices.

Notes:

The maps and tables presented in this dataset show the scope, structures, actors and functions of the EU Member States’ child protection systems and how they aim to meet the diverse needs of different groups of children. A summary of key findings for each area is provided in the online summary.

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), at the request of the European Commission, conducted research on national child protection systems in the 28 European Union (EU) Member States. It seeks to understand how national child protection systems work and to identify common challenges and promising practices.

The European Commission asked FRA to develop an overview of national child protection systems. FRA will examine the scope and key components of national child protection systems across the EU. The focus will be on the systems’ laws, structures, actors and how the systems function, as well as human and financial resources and the existing accountability mechanisms.